Assessment of Fish Passage Opportunities in Lower Hudson River Tributaries

(2009-2014)

Presentation to Hudson River Inaugural Fish Passage Coordination Meeting, Albany NY,

Oct. 29, 2014 Carl Alderson, NOAA Restoration Center

Lisa Rosman, NOAA, Office of Response and Restoration

NOAA led Barriers Studies within the Hudson –Raritan Estuary. Note the Spatial Patterns made by the Tributary barriers of the Hudson River in contrast with the barriers studied in the area of New York Harbor (Raritan, Passaic, Hackensack, Bronx Rivers and lesser tributaries).

N

The barriers in the New York Harbor Area are distributed throughout the low gradient rivers in the watershed, whereas the barriers studied on the Hudson Tributaries tightly cluster near the Hudson River main stem due to the steep terrain of the Hudson Valley

Annsville Creek Arden Brook Black Creek Breakneck Brook Catskill Creek Cedar Point Brook Cheviot Creek Claverack Creek Coeymans Creek Copper Mine Brook Coxsackie Creek Croton River Crows Nest Brook Crumb Elbow Dickey Brook Esopus Creek

Mill Creek (R) Minisceongo Creek Moodna Creek Moordener Kill Muitzes Kill Murderers Creek Normans Creek Papsacanee Creek Peekskill Hollow Brook Philipse Brook Pocantico River Poesten Kill Popolopen Brook Quassaic Creek Roeliff Jansen Kill Rondout Creek Roseton Brook

Saw Kill Saw Mill River Sing Sing Brook South Bay Creek South Lattintown Creek Sparkill Creek Sprout Brook Stockport Creek Stony Creek Twaalfskill Creek Vlockie Kill Vloman Kill Wades Brook Wallkill River Wappingers Creek Wickers Creek Wynants Kill

Fallkill Fallsburgh Creek Fishkill Creek Foundry Brook Furnace Brook Gordons Brook Hannacrois Creek Highland Brook Hunters Brook Indian Brook Indian Kill Kaaterskill Creek Kinderhook Creek Landsman Kill Lattintown Creek Maritje Kill Mill Creek (C)

Study Scope: Sixty Seven Hudson Tributaries

NOAA STUDY IN PROGRESS 2009-2014

60 Tributaries Visited

277 Barriers Field Visited

281 Stream Miles in the

Survey

7 Tributaries NOT Visited

134 Barriers Not Visited

4.19 Average #Miles/Stream

67 Tributary Streams

411 Total Barriers

6.13 Average # Barriers per

Tributary

0.68 Average distance in

miles between barriers

Approximately 65 miles accessible to river herring

What is the First Barrier to Passage on the 67 Tributaries?

88

176 23

105 19

All DiadromousNo DiadromousHigh Flow DiadromousEel OnlyTBD

For all 411 percieved barriers, we asked, can diadromous fish potentially arrive at this point? …..And do (can) diadromous fish

go beyond this point?

BARRIER EFFECTIVENESS

12

229 29

129

12

Passes All Diadromous

No Passage Any Diadromous Species

High Flow Diadromous

Eel Only

TBD

USES

Man-Made Barrier Ownership

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Private

Private Utility

Public

Public Utility

Non-Profit

Combo

TBD

TODAY

CLAVERACK CREEK 1

CLAVERACK CREEK: The spillway of Dam #1 is approx 24’ elevation above the elevation at the mouth. It is a full barrier to fish passage. Dam #2 is breached and does not effect passage. Removal of Dams 1, 3 and 4 results in an additional 2.62 miles of passage for herring.

7

4

Removal of dam 5 may allow eel to pass to RM 9.9 where the Claverack Creek Falls would present a significant challenge.

3

5 6 FUTURE GOAL FUTURE GOAL EEL w/ dam removal

Removal of dams 1,3,4 would allow herring to pass to RM 4.5 where Dam #5 Stottsville Dam/Falls would present an obstacle to fish but dam removal could benefit eel.

Claverack Creek

http://imby.com/claverack/wiki/

Assuming that the Cortland Lake Dam ( #3 ) 37’ in height remains in place, removal of Dams 1 & 2 results in no more than an additional 1.22 miles of passage for herring. An eel ladder on Dam 3 could improve upstream access .

SPROUT BROOK: Fish cannot pass beyond the 1st dam.

TODAY SPROUT BROOK

1 3

w/ dam removal 13

4

Eel passage devices and/or removal of Dams 4-13 would allow free access to American Eel

FUTURE GOAL

FUTURE GOAL EEL

Sprout Brook

Removal of Dam #1 would result in head of tide migration to 3.6 miles upstream. Herring would likely pass to the natural ledges at RM 11.10 (7.1 stream miles). Eel would likely continue upstream to the next dam at RM 13.8

Without removing the dam, fish would have no further access beyond the base of the dam.

RONDOUT CREEK: The 12’ ft high Eddyville Dam (#1) stands at the head of tide.

TODAY

1 RONDOUT

w/ dam removal herring have access to ledges

FUTURE GOAL

?

Rondout Creek

RM13.8

Annsville Creek Arden Brook Black Creek Breakneck Brook Catskill Creek Cedar Point Brook Cheviot Creek Claverack Creek Coeymans Creek Copper Mine Brook Coxsackie Creek Croton River Crows Nest Brook Crumb Elbow Dickey Brook Esopus Creek

Mill Creek (R) Minisceongo Creek Moodna Creek Moordener Kill Muitzes Kill Murderers Creek Normans Creek Papsacanee Creek Peekskill Hollow Brook Philipse Brook Pocantico River Poesten Kill Popolopen Brook Quassaic Creek Roeliff Jansen Kill Rondout Creek Roseton Brook

Saw Kill Saw Mill River Sing Sing Brook South Bay Creek South Lattintown Creek Sparkill Creek Sprout Brook Stockport Creek Stony Creek Twaalfskill Creek Vlockie Kill Vloman Kill Wades Brook Wallkill River Wappingers Creek Wickers Creek Wynants Kill

Fallkill Fallsburgh Creek Fishkill Creek Foundry Brook Furnace Brook Gordons Brook Hannacrois Creek Highland Brook Hunters Brook Indian Brook Indian Kill Kaaterskill Creek Kinderhook Creek Landsman Kill Lattintown Creek Maritje Kill Mill Creek (C)

Study Scope: Sixty Seven Hudson Tributaries

Sixty-seven Lower Hudson Tributaries: First Barrier to River Herring --Natural or Man-made

Annsville Creek

Arden Brook Black Creek Breakneck Brook Catskill Creek Cedar Point Brook Cheviot Creek Claverack Creek Coeymans Creek Copper Mine Brook Coxsackie Creek Croton River Crows Nest Brook Crumb Elbow Dickey Brook Esopus Creek

Mill Creek (R) Minisceongo Creek Moodna Creek Moordener Kill Muitzes Kill Murderers Creek Normans Creek Papsacanee Creek Peekskill Hollow Brook Philipse Brook Pocantico River Poesten Kill Popolopen Brook Quassaic Creek Roeliff Jansen Kill Rondout Creek Roseton Brook

Saw Kill Saw Mill River Sing Sing Brook South Bay Creek South Lattintown Creek Sparkill Creek Sprout Brook Stockport Creek Stony Creek Twaalfskill Creek Vlockie Kill Vloman Kill Wades Brook Wallkill River Wappingers Creek Wickers Creek Wynants Kill

Fallkill Fallsburgh Creek Fishkill Creek Foundry Brook Furnace Brook Gordons Brook Hannacrois Creek Highland Brook Hunters Brook Indian Brook Indian Kill Kaaterskill Creek Kinderhook Creek Landsman Kill Lattintown Creek Maritje Kill Mill Creek (C)

36 Natural 28 Man-Made 2 Probable Man-Made 1 TBD

Annsville Creek Arden Brook Black Creek Breakneck Brook Catskill Creek Cedar Point Brook Cheviot Creek Claverack Creek Coeymans Creek Copper Mine Brook Coxsackie Creek Croton River Crows Nest Brook Crumb Elbow Dickey Brook Esopus Creek

Mill Creek (R) Minisceongo Creek Moodna Creek Moordener Kill Muitzes Kill Murderers Creek Normans Creek Papsacanee Creek Peekskill Hollow Brook Philipse Brook Pocantico River Poesten Kill Popolopen Brook Quassaic Creek Roeliff Jansen Kill Rondout Creek Roseton Brook

Saw Kill Saw Mill River Sing Sing Brook South Bay Creek South reek Sparkill Creek Sprout Brook Stockport Creek Stony Creek Twaalfskill Creek Vlockie Kill Vloman Kill Wades Brook Wallkill River Wappingers Creek Wickers Creek Wynants Kill

Fallkill Fallsburgh Creek Fishkill Creek Foundry Brook Furnace Brook Gordons Brook Hannacrois Creek Highland Brook Hunters Brook Indian Brook Indian Kill Kaaterskill Creek Kinderhook Creek Landsman Kill Lattintown Creek Maritje Kill Mill Creek (C)

27 Tributaries Where First Barrier to Herring is Man-Made

Culvert Dam

Annsville Creek Arden Brook Black Creek Breakneck Brook Catskill Creek Cedar Point Brook Cheviot Creek Claverack Creek Coeymans Creek Copper Mine Brook Coxsackie Creek Croton River Crows Nest Brook Crumb Elbow Dickey Brook Esopus Creek

Mill Creek (R) Minisceongo Creek Moodna Creek Moordener Kill Muitzes Kill Murderers Creek Normans Creek Papsacanee Creek Peekskill Hollow Brook Philipse Brook Pocantico River Poesten Kill Popolopen Brook Quassaic Creek Roeliff Jansen Kill Rondout Creek Roseton Brook

Saw Kill Saw Mill River Sing Sing Brook South Bay Creek South Lattintown Creek Sparkill Creek Sprout Brook Stockport Creek Stony Creek Twaalfskill Creek Vlockie Kill Vloman Kill Wades Brook Wallkill River Wappingers Creek Wickers Creek Wynants Kill

Fallkill Fallsburgh Creek Fishkill Creek Foundry Brook Furnace Brook Gordons Brook Hannacrois Creek Highland Brook Hunters Brook Indian Brook Indian Kill Kaaterskill Creek Kinderhook Creek Landsman Kill Lattintown Creek Maritje Kill Mill Creek (C)

Culvert Dam

14 Tributaries Where Action for Herring Likely Prescribed

Tributaries where first man-made barrier provides realistic opportunities. Eliminated are dams under FERC relicensing; dams and culverts whose location, size and structure make fish passage costly with little benefit; culverts that are technically infeasible; and barriers that provide passage to Eel only.

Annsville Creek Arden Brook Black Creek Breakneck Brook Catskill Creek Cedar Point Brook Cheviot Creek Claverack Creek Coeymans Creek Copper Mine Brook Coxsackie Creek Croton River Crows Nest Brook Crumb Elbow Dickey Brook Esopus Creek

Mill Creek (R) Minisceongo Creek Moodna Creek Moordener Kill Muitzes Kill Murderers Creek Normans Creek Papsacanee Creek Peekskill Hollow Brook Philipse Brook Pocantico River Poesten Kill Popolopen Brook Quassaic Creek Roeliff Jansen Kill Rondout Creek Roseton Brook

Saw Kill Saw Mill River Sing Sing Brook South Bay Creek South Lattintown Creek Sparkill Creek Sprout Brook Stockport Creek Stony Creek Twaalfskill Creek Vlockie Kill Vloman Kill Wades Brook Wallkill River Wappingers Creek Wickers Creek Wynants Kill

Fallkill Fallsburgh Creek Fishkill Creek Foundry Brook Furnace Brook Gordons Brook Hannacrois Creek Highland Brook Hunters Brook Indian Brook Indian Kill Kaaterskill Creek Kinderhook Creek Landsman Kill Lattintown Creek Maritje Kill Mill Creek (C)

Culvert Dam

• An estimated 35 miles additional miles of habitat gained from removal of all barriers to herring on these tributaries.

• An estimated 22.3 miles of herring habitat gained from selected tributaries

There are currently 65 tributary miles estimated available to river herring on the 67 tributaries of the Lower Hudson based on criteria of biological and physical limits of fish passage.

Conclusions

An estimated 35 tributary miles have the potential to be opened to river herring via removal of 27 barriers (dam removal, culvert upgrades or the placement of passage structures (ramps, ladders, bypass structures)) on 14 tributaries. Restoration opportunities (12 dams) on 5 tributaries (Claverack, Croton, Moodna, Rondout, Sparkill) could enhance access to habitat for an estimated 22.3 miles for river herring.

An estimate of the stream miles encompassing the full historic migratory routes of river herring could not be determined from the available historic data, due to the limited number and accuracy of historic investigations and accounts.